So I went to sign up for the Maui Half-Marathon today (completely last minute and out of the blue) and almost choked on my mini frittata when I found out it cost $115.  Really??  I had NO idea they cost so much!

When I first started the Couch to 5K program about 9 months ago I wouldn’t even call what I was doing ‘running’ because I couldn’t make it a quarter of a mile without having to fold over.  As I was doing the program I kept saying, “I don’t know how people can run any further than 5K.  I could never do it.  I just don’t think my body is made to run that far.”  But eventually I made it to and through my first 5K in March.

And before I knew it I was Google-ing ’10K training programs’.  I didn’t have a race in mind but as it turned out a friend of mine (who I met through the greatest online weight loss community SparkPeople) was taking part in the Lake Union 10K and asked me to join her.  It was to take place while I was on vacation, specifically the day after my sister-in-law’s wedding!  I decided *why not?*  It kept me motivated and stopped me from eating a bunch of crap while on vacation.

On August 22nd, this Maui girl ran the whole way through her first 10K race without a jacket in 50-degree-and-raining weather.  I finished strong and smiling at 66 minutes.

I remember telling my husband while I was training for the 10K, “how could anyone run anything more than 10K?  I think I’ll just keep it at 10K once I finish this program.  My body just isn’t made to do anything more.”

And here I am looking at 15K and 10 mile training programs.

There’s just something about running I can’t get enough of.   The rush I feel from pushing my boundaries; listening to my breath and my heart beat strong and steady the entire way; the monotonous pounding of my feet and the meditative inhale-exhale. Inhale-exhale.

For me, it’s the one thing that’s helped kick me through my plateau.  It’s an exercise that works all parts of my body and that I can do anywhere.

But on the downside, I’m constantly afraid of injuring myself while running.  I know way too many people who have had knee injuries from overdoing it (plus my hips are always sore after longer runs) so I have to be extra careful.  It’s so difficult to find a balance between doing what works for my weight loss and health and what feels good and honors my body too.

Which is why I say it again : I don’t think I’ll go much further than running 10 miles (alright, I might do a half marathon one of these days…).

That said, here’s the training schedule (based on Hal Higdon’s) that I will be following for the next 10 weeks until the Harbor to Harbor 10-miler

It’ll have to be flexible because things will come up and life will get in the way, but it’s nice to have a plan again.  Another–much more detailed version–resides in my planner so that I can remember exactly when I’m supposed to be reading 3 chapters on “Social Welfare Policies in America” vs. when I’m supposed to be cooking vs. when I can be social and it even has to decipher when I’m supposed to be eating dinner and/or showering.

I am totally serious when I say that I’ve never been busier in my life.  How fortunate I am to have such incredible opportunities… and to be fearless enough to take them on!

I’m super excited to tell you all about yesterday’s experience with stand up paddle boarding… stay tuned!